Conveyor systems are used in a number of different industries to transport items of all types. Some types of conveyor systems include a track having an interior along which a portion of the conveyor system and/or a portion of items conveyed by the conveyor system pass. By way of example with reference to the beverage industry, some conveyor systems are used to transport bottles by the bottle neck, wherein the top of each bottle extends into an interior space of an elongated track along which the bottles are transported. The elongated tracks of these conveyor systems typically include a longitudinal slot through which the neck of the bottle extends. In some cases, compressed air directed at various portions of the bottle or to a conveyor element connected to and movable along the track with the bottle urges the bottle along the conveyor path. In other cases, other mechanisms are used to move the bottles carried by the elongated track.
Regardless of the type of items conveyed by the conveyor system having a track with an interior conveying area as described above, the interior of the track can accumulate dust, microorganisms, and other contaminants during operation. In many applications (e.g., in beverage bottle conveying applications), this not only presents problems with movement of items along the conveyor, but can also present an unacceptable risk of bottle and beverage contamination. As a result, the track must be cleaned on a regular basis to ensure proper operation and sanitation. Track cleaning is currently typically performed manually by laboriously wiping the track with a dampened cloth. Since the conveyor track is typically overhead, this cleaning requires the use of lift devices that increase the time and cost of the cleaning.
Pipeline “pigs” are often used to clean the interior surfaces of long stretches of pipe. The pig is typically propelled through the pipe by a compressed fluid flowing through the pipe, thereby dislodging contaminants adhering to the interior walls of the pipe. The pigs typically include a body having an outer circumference that conforms to the interior of the pipe being cleaned, and must be in an enclosed pipe in order to operate effectively.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0251038 discloses a novel system for cleaning a conveyor by using air currents from the conveyor to move a pig or bullet along the conveyor track. This system includes a cleaning body within the track and a body located outside the track to capture air currents and to thereby drive the cleaning body.
A need exists for a cleaning device that can operate in conveyor tracks with sufficient friction to clean soiling typically found in such tracks, and that can efficiently and quickly clean conveyor tracks with reduced manpower. New devices for cleaning conveyor tracks therefore continue to be welcome in the art.